Pet Travel Story: Dog Transport to Australia From Canada

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Incredible Experiences: Melba's Canadian Adventure (& Return Home)

Melba's overseas adventure started in March 2010 when we relocated from Perth, Australia to Toronto, Canada for work. Our relocation company coordinated Melba's move through PetRelocation, and this is when we first met Cara!

Melba's move to Canada from Australia was seamless, with Cara providing me with all the information required to get Melba ready for her journey to the other side of the world. Luckily, entering Canada from Australia is easy with only the standard and rabies vaccinations required and NO quarantine time! Melba left the same day we did and arrived a day after we did, as she had a break in between flights at Pet Hotels in Sydney and Los Angeles. Apart from some jet lag she was in perfect health.

Melba then had the task of adjusting to Canadian winters and becoming an 'inside' dog, which for an Australian Cattle Dog was something unusual… With the help of some fabulous dog walkers (thanks Lisa & Heather) Melba became a great indoor dog and spent a lot of hours on our bed watching the Dog Whisperer!!

Two years later and it was time to return back home to Perth, Australia and once again we worked with PetRelocation to make this happen. We were lucky enough to again work with Cara and her colleague, Keith, both who were very supportive during what can be a very stressful time.

For those that have experienced a move into Australia with their pets I am sure you can appreciate the challenge due to the level of detail and the strict requirements for entry that my lovely country imposes (and for good reason). PetRelocation has the expertise and knowledge on hand to get you and your pet through to the other side!

Cara and Keith worked with me continuously over four months to get Melba prepared and on her way, which was a challenge during the winter and holiday season in Canada. I think we all learned a lot along the way that will help others in the future, however the main goal was achieved with our girl arriving safely into Melbourne Quarantine mid-January amidst a hot summer.

With good planning and preparation, Melba only spent the minimum time of 30 days in Spotswood Quarantine facility, which was surprisingly very well set up and managed. The dogs have a roomy cell that has a bricked in room at one end with a warm/cool dog bed in it and a roomy concrete dog run filling up the rest (see photos). There are also fenced and grassed exercise yards that you can exercise your dog in during visiting times, and on hot days they turn on a fine mist spray to keep your pets cool.

After the 30 days Melba was released and collected by PetRelocation's Australian agent JetPets, who are also very good, and put onto a flight to Perth where we collected her on a 42 degree day. Quite a contrast from the -15 degrees she left in Toronto.

Cara and Keith kept in contact during Melba's trip with updates during her transit and were very keen to hear how she was coping with her Quarantine stay and how she is settling in now that she is back home.

It was great to work with PetRelocation on both occasions, and I would like to thank Cara and Keith for getting our girl back home safely.

Every move is different due to each country's legislation and quarantine requirements, however with the expert guidance and support from PetRelocation and careful planning, you can move your pets anywhere around the world!!